Maria's Heart
hoped, her latest pro bono case hitting roadblock after roadblock. But helping people like Mrs. Romano-a widow fighting to keep her home from foreclosure-was w
fe, but Maria barely noticed, her thoughts tangled in legal briefs and deadlines. She didn't see the man wat
-
r car when the first scream shattered the night. Turning, she saw a m
her veins as she pursued the thief down a dark alley. She wasn't sure what she'd do if she caug
ve to wait lo
The stranger's face was partially obscured by the shadows, but his presence was unmistakable. The thief tried to veer around him
commanded, his voic
, letting the purse
e, his sharp jawline and piercing gray eyes cutting through the darkness like a blade. His tailored suit and
he asked, holdi
d, too stun
ls," he said, his tone scolding
m get away," Maria repl
o a faint smile. "You're
hing sirens filled the air. The man stepped back
-
Who was that man? His confidence, his power-it was intoxicating.
e was
n a much more dangerous setting. Unbeknownst to her, she had stumbled into a world
-
he faint smirk that danced on his lips, and the way he exuded authority with effortless ease. She co
shed herself through her morning routine-shower, coffee, and a quick glance at the news. The headlines were as grim as
se she was building for Mrs. Romano and the unsettling events of the previous night
ourthouse, reviewing documents over a latte. The hum of conversation an
n she saw
ed as he entered, his presence commanding attention without effort. His sharp black suit was
sn't sure if it was excitement,
A flicker of recognition passed across his face, followed by a slow, deliberate
" he said, his vo
rprise. "How do y
ur business card in the purse.
stincts kicking in. "You kept
e chair across from her without waiting for an invitation.
quickened. "Ye
before shaking it. His grip was firm, his skin warm a
rtrooms and newsrooms, always in hushed tones. Luca DeLuc
herself, unsure how
an eyebrow
owed hard.
unnerving. "I suppose th
sked about her work, showing genuine interest in her cases, and she found herself relaxing agains
uldn't shake the sense that there was mo
you," she said finally. "F
tone light. "But if you ins
dangerous, a walking storm in an expensive suit. But the
d idea," she said, though h
ocking onto hers. "Sometimes, the be
tormed in. Their leather jackets bore a familiar emblem-a serpent coiled around
he men scanned the café. Their eyes landed o
dripping with mockery. "Luca DeLuca,
s chair, his expression unreadable. "And
le. Stay out of Valenti territory, or next time..." He gestured to the patro
. The tension in the room was palpable, and she r
ned to her, his calm demeanor unshake
in over her head, and she knew it. But as Luca's eye
ar it. The moment Dominic and his men left, the tension in the room shifted. Patrons began whispering among themselves, sneaking glances a
p, taking a slow sip as if the confrontation moments ago hadn't happened. When his gaze retu
seen a ghost," he said
came out shakier than she inte
nds on the table. "The fact that men like Dominic exist? Or the fact t
wasn't just a man in a sharp suit with a commanding presence-he was dangerous, a figu
about it," Maria admitted, her voice steady
ving into a faint smile. "Terrifie
whether to ask him more or run as far away as possible. But somethi
. He glanced at the screen, his expression tightening for the briefes
asked, trying to
at," Luca replied
her. "Does that 'business' have an
or a moment, Maria thought he might brush her off, but in
e. "But since you're sitting here, asking questions you probably shouldn't be ask
e intensity in his tone. "A
th lifted in a half-smil
it with such ease. She could feel the walls of her carefully ordered life
nly, standing up so quickly her
urried. "Why? Because you're scared? Or because
She didn't have an answer-not one
Luca offered, his voice s
ary," Maria replie
ed, his tone leaving
ut of the café, his hand lightly resting on the small of her back. The gest
the café fading into the background. A sleek black car was p
s," Luca said to the driver bef
seat. The interior of the car was immaculate, with subtle hin
nced at Luca, who was sitting bes
oing this?" sh
I want to make sure you're safe. And because I don't
espond. Instead, she turned her gaze to the window, watchin
head, each one more pressing than the last. Who was Luca, really? What had drawn him into the wor
, Maria felt no closer to finding the answers. Luc
aid, her voice bar
on her. "Be careful, Maria. The
driver sped off into the night. Maria stood on the sidew
but her life had just
ning. She couldn't shake the image of Luca-his piercing eyes, his commanding p
omething else. A darkness. A danger
s standing on the edge of something vast and unknown.
ins, casting a somber hue over her small apartment. She sat up slowly, her thoughts still heavy with the events of th
at a moment of vulnerability and nothing more. But deep down, she
n the familiar. As she waited for the brew, her eyes wandered to the small stack of case files on her counter-the Romano case sit
st ideas are the o
ant to admit it, but she felt drawn to him, like a moth to a flame
her from her thoughts. She glanced at the
aria. I hope you
ng. How had he gotten her number? She wasn'
how to respond, anothe
. Tonight. My driver will
. She stared at the screen, the weight of his wo
spilling her coffee. Her mind raced as she crossed the
e she recognized. A deliveryman stood there, hold
ked, glancing at the a
e said he
is for
smooth fabric of the ribbon. She closed the door, her
d lifted the lid. Inside was a sing
earned. Let me show you
her entire career fighting for justice, standing firm against the kind of men Luca represented. But
life, Maria wasn't sure wh
ing the note in her hand. She knew that opening the door to Luca's world wo
e petals stark against the darkness of the
de her d
fingers trembling as she ty
es